Instructions

Step 1: Chop the onions, garlic, and chives. Baton cut your bacon and keep it at the ready.

Step 2: Mix the Herbs and Spices

2 tsp salt (to taste)

2 tsp pepper (to taste)

2 tsp dry rosemary

2 tsp dry thyme

Step 3: Create the Sauce

1 oz package of brown or beef gravy mix

1/3rd cup of white flour

1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika

12-ounces of beer

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2-3 ounces of tomato paste

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Use a whisk to blend all of the Sauce ingredients. Let the sauce rest under a towel or other cover to keep the bugs out of the sauce.

Don’t fret about getting the tomato paste and the Dijon mustard measurements just right. Just use a regular spoon to scoop out ½ of the tomato paste from a 6-ounce can and just a couple of spoonful of the Dijon will work A-OK.

Step 4: Over a very high heat (24-30 briquettes or the equivalent), add the bacon batons and render the fat. If you are using oil instead of bacon, add a tablespoon or two of oil to the pot and let it heat up.

Step 5: Brown your beef but don’t cook it all the way. Just let it brown. Leave the juices and fat in the pot. Dab up any excess oil if your meats produce too much. 

Step 6: Move the browning beef to one side of the Dutch oven. Use the oil and broth from the browning beef to sauté the onions and garlic.

Step 7: Once the onions and garlic are to your liking, add the herbs to the pot and stir up everything very well. Level out the ingredients over the surface of the Dutch oven’s bottom.

Step 8: Add the two bags of peas and carrots and the cauliflower rice to the top of the ingredients already in the Dutch oven. Then add the sauce mixture. Let it sit for a bit and then stir everything up very well. Smooth out the ingredients.

Step 9: Return the lid to the pot and set your heat for a goal temperature of 350°F / 175°C. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven and 16 briquettes on the lid. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Step 10: After 15-20 minutes of bake-time, pull the lid from the pot and stir the ingredients to rotate them all about. Level off the ingredients. Return the lid to the pot and bake for another 15 minutes.

Step 11: After a total of 30-35 minutes of bake time, test the peas and carrots for doneness. If the peas and carrots are done, then move to step 12. If you are using mixed vegetables with green beans, use the green beans’ texture as a test of doneness.

Step 12: After leveling off the ingredients, add your toppings of tater tots and cheese. You can add the cheese before the tater tots (my favorite way). Or, you can add the cheese to the top of the tater tots. It’s up to you.

Step 13: After all the toppings are in place, return the lid to the pot and remove the bottom heat. Load that lid up with 24-30 hot briquettes and broil for about 10 minutes. Then take a peek. Keep broiling and checking until the cheese or the tots are toasted and cooked to your liking.

Note: If you are using a shallow or regular 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven, your broiling times will be different. With a shallow Dutch, remember: less is more. Less briquettes on the top will allow for more cooking time of the tater tots and let them toast slower. Too much heat will cause the tots to toast too fast with the centers likely not cooking through.

Instructions

Step 1: In a bowl, crack the four eggs, add the milk and pepper, and scramble very well.

Step 2: Open the Sausage and create a large flat patty-like shape, almost like a large disk of sausage.

Step 3: Cut the bacon perpendicular and into small strips. Just make a little pile of bacon pieces near the sausage.

Step 4: Cut the green onions. Start at the green, chive ends and make thin cuts all the way towards the transition area. When you reach the white bulb area, cut the white area and keep it separated from the green chives. Don’t over-think this step…a little more of green with white or white with green…it’s all good.

Step 5: Open the pack of tater-tots and have them nearby.

Right now, we have our egg mixture ready, the sausage is ready, and bacon is prepared, our green onions are chopped, and the tots are at the ready. Come on baby, light the fire!

Step 6: Set 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney.

Step 7: While the fire is heating, place your 12-Inch cast iron camp Dutch oven near the charcoal chimney to pre-heat / pre-warm.

Now, let’s cook!

Step 8: Once the briquettes are ready, place the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to heat up very hot.

Step 9: Add the bacon to the hot Dutch oven and cook until crispy. When the bacon is done, scoop the small pieces out, and set them aside (maybe on a paper towel to catch the excess oil). This is where you will find the wok shovel to be invaluable. Use the wooden spatula to scoop the bacon bits into the wok shovel and set them aside.

Step 10: Let the bacon fat in the hot 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven get very, very hot. Then add the large, patty-like shape of breakfast sausage to the hot pot. We want to brown and caramelize the sausage on one side and then the other BEFORE we break it up.

Add the sausage in one large chunk. Don’t (yet) mix or break up the sausage. Let the sausage sear and brown a bit on one side. Then, flip the large patty over and brown the other side. This WILL add a layer of flavor that does make a difference.

Step 11: Once the sausage has browned nicely, break up the sausage and cook thoroughly. There may be quite a bit of fat and oil produced during this process. That’s okay. If there is quite a bit of liquid fat in the pot, move the sausage to one side of the pot and use a few paper towels to soak up the excess grease.

Leave about 2-3 tablespoons of fat in the pot for sautéing. If you need more oil, add some butter or oil to the pot and let it heat.

Chef Tip: Most of the time when cooking in camp, the Dutch oven sits on slightly unlevel ground and things will “pool” to one side of the pot. PERFECT! Move the browned sausage to the “uphill” side of the pot and then let the fat drain “downhill.”

Chef Tip: That greasy paper towel makes for a great fire starter. Chunk it or save it for the next fire.

Step 12: Add the white bulb parts of the green onions to the pot and mix with the sausage. Sauté until the onions are soft and ready.

Step 13: Pull the pot from the fire so we can put our dish together without the fear of burning stuff.

Step 14: Spread the sausage and onions out evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Step 15: Add 1-2 cups of cheese to the top of the sausage. I usually don’t measure the cheese; I usually use a couple of handfuls of cheese and just make a nice layer there above the sausage. DO NOT mix or stir in the cheese with the sausage.

Step 16: Pour in the egg mixture and evenly over the cheese-covered sausage. Careful here and go slowly. Pouring the egg in too fast will “wash away” the ingredients that are already in the pot. Pour slow and in a circular motion. DO NOT stir the pot.

Step 17: Add the tater tots to the top of everything. Use your hand. If you pour in the tater tots from the bag, the weight of the tots will “push” the ingredients aside. Use your hand and add a few at a time. “Sprinkle” them on the top. Some will sink; that’s okay. DO NOT mix in the tater tots. Just let them sit on the top.

If you are using shredded baked potatoes, grab a handful at a time and cover the mixture with the shredded potatoes. Then, decide if you’d like some salt. If so, sprinkle a bit on the top of the potatoes.

Step 18: Return the lid to the pot. From the pile of briquettes we have already, transfer 16-18 hot charcoal briquettes evenly on the lid.

Step 19: Set 8-10 hot charcoal briquettes in a circle about the size of the diameter of the bottom of the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over these 8-10 briquettes.

Step 20: Turn the pot in 10-15 minutes. Rotate the lid in one direction 1/3 of a turn. And then, turn the whole pot 1/3 of a turn in the other direction. Do this 2-3 times.

Step 21: After 30 minutes, use a fork to sneak out a tot. Give it a taste test. Is it done? Does it need more time? Are the eggs done? You may need to bake for another 15 minutes.

Step 22: When the tots are fully warmed and the egg is fully cooked, remove the pot from the fire. Remove the lid and set aside on a lid stand. Place the remaining bits of cheese on the top (1/2 – 1 Cup), sprinkle the cut green onion chives over the top, and evenly spread out the bacon bits we cooked earlier. Put the lid back on the pot.

Step 23: Place all the hot briquettes you have on the top of the lid of the Dutch oven (remove all heat from the bottom of the Dutch oven). If you have a few extra, you can add them as well. We are now BROILING the ingredients to really toast the tots and cheese. Let the cheese melt and toast for about 5-10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes to make sure you don’t burn it.

Step 24: Once the cheese is melted and the dish is ready, it’s time for breakfast!!

I use a wooden spoon or a wok shovel to cut and scoop out from the pot and directly into the bowl. ENJOY!

Ready to Cook

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1) Mix the dry stuff together: 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Step 2) Cut the 8 tablespoons of butter into the dry mixture. You’ll end up with a dry, oatmeal consistency. 

Step 3) Pour in your cup of half and half. But you could use buttermilk, kefir, spoiled milk,  vinegar-ed milk, or even just plain old milk. You’ll need a cup or more depending on the liquid’s consistency and how packed your cups of flour ended up being. You could even use plain yogurt but you’ll usually need much more than a cup of yogurt due to the thickness of the yogurt.

Step 4) Mix around with a rubber or silicone spatula big enough to handle the load. A big bamboo wooden spoon would work too.

Step 5) “Flour” or dust the top of your table or working surface and plop out the dough onto the floured surface. Then, dust the top of the sticky dough with a bit more flour.

Step 6) Flattened and fold over the dough a few times; don’t knead the dough like bread. Make a single, large, round circle from the all of the dough about as big around as the diameter of the bottom of the pot or pan you’ll be baking these biscuits in.

Step 7) Cut the individual biscuits out from the dough. A biscuit cutter works best but a coffee cup, paper cup, or even a knife to cut square biscuits. But don’t worry about being perfectly round or even on each and every one. It’s okay to have weird shapes and odd sizes.

Step 8) Place the cut biscuits in a 10-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven that has been buttered up real nice. Trust me when I say “buttered up.” Butter is the key to keep these biscuits both flavorful as well as keeping them from sticking. Butter is the key here.

Step 9) Scramble an egg up real good and using one of those kitchen paint brushes (basing brush), paint the top of those dudes with a thin layer of scrambled egg.

Step 10) Put the lid back on your camp cast iron Dutch oven and place the oven over 6 or 7 briquettes. Place 13 or 14 briquettes on top of the lid.

Step 11) Let the biscuits bake for about 10 minutes. Then, give the Dutch oven and the lid a ⅓ turn. Lift the lid just a bit and take a peek. Note not only the tops but also the bottoms of the biscuits (as well as you can visualize). Are the bottoms toasting well? If not, close in those bottom briquettes a bit closer to the center of the circle toward the middle of the Dutch oven. 

Step 12) Wait another 10 minutes and take another look-see. They are likely done at this point. Cook longer if you plan to eat right away. But, if you have other things to cook or that are still cooking, remember this: that hot pot will continue baking those biscuits even after you remove the heat from the pot.

Once they’re done, get the jelly out, and start munching.

Enjoy

Chef Tip: Note the time you will keep those biscuits in that pot as you cook the other ingredients. As they cool, they will steam and condensation will form. If they sit in the pot too long, they will get soggy from their collected steam moisture.